


Day After Day

by VesperCat



Series: Elio/Oliver fics [6]
Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF, Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types, Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 12:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17203601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VesperCat/pseuds/VesperCat
Summary: He wants to run to him. Hug him. Kiss him. Declare his love again.





	Day After Day

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place round about 3 years after Oliver's stay.
> 
> Thanks to the friend who gave the basic idea.

Newly transferred to University of California, Los Angeles from Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa for the semester, Elio is excited. Different country, different university, different Elio.

As soon as Elio steps on to the campus he felt it. He felt a presence but shrugs it off, pays no attention to the nagging feeling of familiarity.

×+×+×+×

While contemplating on entering the music hall or going to his next class, Elio spots a lone wallet on a high curb that's misused as seating. 

He picks the wallet up and flips it open. There's a few cards and a picture of a toddler and a woman with a baby in her arms. He looks between the green notes and sees a worn out business card with the university's emblem on one side.

Returning the card to the brown leather, he pockets the wallet and decides to call the number when he's at his dorm room again.

×+×+×+×

The wallet sits on Elio's bedside table, almost half forgotten for a week.

Elio studies the pictures one last time, retrieves the business card and makes his way to the dormitory's payphone.

Going through the motions of starting a call on the payphone, Elio starts with, "Hello, um, your business card was in a wallet I found by the Evelyn & Mo Ostin Music Center,"

"Elio?" Comes the sound through the weak line, "I could never forget your voice,"

"Oliver?" Elio's mouth gapes open and close in disbelief and surprise. Body sagging against the nearest wall.

He didn't even fathom that Oliver would be at an university that's on the opposite side of the USA. A university specifically chosen to be the farthest away from New England.

_Should have talked to Oliver when mom asked if I wanted to when he called._

A figure hovers close by, distracting Elio, making him pull away from the smooth pale wall.

"Hey, um, I have to go," Elio says and makes plans to meet with Oliver.

×+×+×+×

He wants to run to him. Hug him. Kiss him. Declare his love again.

They stand, slightly awkward, both wanting to do something but not knowing if they'll follow through. Oliver looks around and spots a metal bench.

"Do you want to sit?" Oliver asks softly. Elio nods his head and mouths a silent, "Yes."

Elio removes his blue and yellow backpack from his heavy feeling shoulders and places it on his lap. The golden ring around Oliver's finger gleams in the sun, taunting him.

"Do you still play poker?"

_Pale area of inner arm: check._

"Sometimes but Taylor doesn't like that I do,"

"Taylor is..."

"The wife," 

Elio nods, sighs, breaths out and starts opening his backpack to retrieve Oliver's wallet. Handing the well worn leather back to its owner, Oliver takes the wallet.

Oliver automatically opens and checks its contents. Elio turns to look away, the small green earring giving his jaw a slight thump.

"Sorry, that was-"

"An instinctive response,"

_Neck: check._

Seeing Oliver's Star of David makes Elio reach for the two chains around his neck but the missing little star burns in Billowy's pocket in a box at the villa.

"Do you still play..."

"Occasionally," 

Oliver nods his head thoughtfully, "Do you want to meet here tomorrow?"

×+×+×+×

After meeting every work day for weeks, whether it was for five minutes or two hours, Oliver senses there's something off with Elio. Their usual comfortable silence broken by an odd feeling.

"Do you want to tell me something?" queries Oliver, wanting to reach out and comfort the uneasy looking Elio, "Did something happen?"

"Day after day, day after day,  
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;  
As idle as a painted ship  
Upon a painted ocean.  
Water, water, every where,  
And all the boards did shrink;  
Water, water, every where,  
Nor any drop to drink."

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,"

Elio just nods his head, looking away. Hands and arms fidgeting, not knowing what to do.

Oliver hesitates, hand hovering above Elio's shoulder, then gently places the limb onto the black covered back.

Elio sways side to side and turns to Oliver, eyes becoming wet and red rimmed.

Oliver pulls Elio towards himself, comforting him like his eldest son when the toddler fell in a park.

"Ssh, it's alright," coos Oliver, one hand rubbing Elio's back the other in the mop of curls, "it's alright, it's alright. Ssh."

Elio shakes his head, tears being absorbed up by Oliver's shirt.

"Why can't I let go?" Cries Elio, gripping onto the soft material, knuckles turning white.

Oliver guides Elio's head up, hand holding the soft cheek, he takes in a breath stopping himself from going any further, the memories flooding back.

Oliver feels tears prickling his eyes, fluttering his eyelids, he releases the flood of silent tears.

They sit there, breathing heavily, the sun bright through the tree leaves.


End file.
